Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



FIG 4 C; SHARP. BRBEGH LOADING FIRE ARM.

Patented July 9, 1861.

FIGJ.

T Non mens co. n m umu umm-.mu u c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN SHARPS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

4IMPROVEMENT IN BREEGH-LOADIN FIREARMS.

bpecilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 32,790. dated July 9, 1861.

To all whom it 11i/ay concern: 'Be it known that I, CHnIs'rIAN Sinners, o

following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to Vthe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, v

My invention relates to an improvement in breech-loading firearms in which a barrel or barrels arranged to slide to and fro on the stock are used; and my improvement consistsv in a device, described hereinafter, for locking and releasing the lever which operates the barrel.

,In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now pra ceed to describe its construction and operation.

0n reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a-part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved firearm; Fig. 2, a transverse section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1'; Fig. 3, atransverse sectionon the line 3 4, Fig. 1; Fig. 4,21. transverse section on the line 5 6,with the barrel removed; Fig. 5, an exterior view ofthe firearm.

A represents the stock and B the barrel of the firearm, the projecting portion a, of the former having a longitudinal recess or groove adapted to a` longitudinal projection on the under sideof the barrel, the said projection and recess beingof such aform that the barrel can slide freely in the projecting portion a of the stock in a line parallel, or thereabout, with its bore, but can have' no other movement independently of the stock.

Io a pin, c, passing through the projecting portion a of the stock, ishinged the lever C, the bent arm c of which is of such a shape as to form a triggerguard. This lever C has an angular projection, one side', j', of which consists oi' a gradual inclination adapted to an inclined recess in the under side oi' the barrel, the other side, lt, ofthe angular projection being more abrupt and forming part of the circumference of a circle of. which the fulcruml pin e ci the lever is the center, the end of the recess in the barrel being of a form to coincide with this end of the projection.

To a pin,.',which passes through a projection of the lever C, is jointed one end of the rod D, the'opposite end of which is connected to a pin, j, passing through a projection on the under side of the barrel. As this leverarrangement for operating the barrel is described in my patentvfor breech-loading rearms, granted January25, 18.59,` further explanation will be unnecessary.

The projecting portion k of the stock which forms the breech of the fire-arm has an annular recess for the reception ofthe end o f the barrel, and within this recess is a second for receiving the collar or enlargement Z of the metalliccartridge L, which is ofthe ordinary construction.

Vithin a recess, M, formed by cutting away a portion o f the under side of the barrel and a portion of the stock in the neighborhood of the' breech k, is hung an arm, N, at the outer end of which is a projection, a, with a notch at the, top for' catching against the inside oi' the enlargement lof the cartridge, a spring, p, secured' within the said-recess bearing against the arm, and tending to maintain its notched projection in close contact with the cartridge. As this spring-arm N forms'no part of my present improvement it will suiice here to state that it serves the purpose of extracting the spent cartridge from the barrel as the latter is being moved forward.

Vithin a recess, P, formed in the under side of the stock, is hung a dog, Q., having two projecticns, q and q', the former of which has a rounded end and a shoulder for catching hold of a shoulder formed on the rounded projection t on .the bent end c of the lever C, the other projection, q', of the dog Q being so situated as to be readily touched by the finger or thumb of the operator. rllhe holdof the projection q on the proj cctiont is maintained by a spring, w, which is secured to the dog and bears against one side of the recess P.

When the parts above described are in the position shown'in Fig. l the fire-arm is ready t'or being discharged, which may be accomplished' by any of the usual hammer and trigger arrangements-devices which are so well known that is has not been deemed necessary to illustrate them in the drawings.

After the discharge of the re-arin the operator pushes the projection q' of the dog Q, and thereby releases the projection q from its hold on the projectiont' oi' the lever C,which is nowat liberty. 'lt will be observed that this lend of his thumb must Ifirst push the projection q and release the guard before the body of his thumb is in actual contact with the bent end of the said guard, thus insuring the release of the`latter before the operator commences to depress the guard, in doing which his thumb continues to maintain that position on the bent end of the guard which it previously held prior to its depression. It will be seen, therefore, that the under side of the stock is the guide in the rst instance for theposition of the opera-tors thumb, and that he has no movement `to make for the purpose of unlocking the guard other than that absolutely necessary for seizing and operating the guard itself.

' I do not desire to claim, broadly, a catch for locking` and releasing the lever which operates the sliding barrel of a breech-loading fire-arm 5 but l I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent.-

The spring-dogQ,with its projections q and q', in combination with-the projection t of the guard-lever C, when the said projection q is situated in respect to the under side of the stock and the bent end of the said guard-lever, as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses'.

CHRISTIAN 'SHAB-PS.

Vitnesses:

HENRY HowsoN, J oHN WHITE. 

